Fruit-stand.



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FRUIT STAND.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1907.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

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FRUIT STAND. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1907.

973,125. Patented Oct. 18,1910.-

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FRUIT STAND.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 19 07.

Patented Oct. 18, 19110.

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FRUIT STAND.

APPLICATION TILED JUIB25, 1907. 7 973,1 5; Patented Oct. 18,1910.

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CHARLES MULLER AND HENRY REIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FRUIT-STAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

Application filed June 25, 1907. Serial No. 380,721.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, OHAnLns Mr'iLLnR and HENRY Rnrs, citizens of theUnited States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and Stateof New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Stands,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fruit stands and more particularly to devicesfor the vending of fruits, confectionery and similar articles in whichthe articles for sale are inclosed within the structure which isprovided with cooling means for refrigerating the contents to preventthe destruction of perishable fruits and they are at the same timeinclosed against injurious dusts. Means are also provided by which thefruit-s and other articles may be released and permitted to escape sothat handling is avoided and the device is kept closed against theadmission of warm air. These and other details of the construction andoperation of the device will be more fully described in the followingspecifications as set forth in the claim.

In the drawings forming a part of this application like referencecharacters are used to designate the same parts in the various views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of this fruit stand. Fig. 2 is a frontview of the device with part of the front wall removed. Fig. 3 is alongitudinal vertical sectional view. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional viewon the line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a similar view on the-line 5--5 ofFig. 3. Fig. 6 is a sectional side elevation showing that part of thestand which is adapted to contain fruit, and the serving mechanismtherefor, with the controlling valve in a closed position. Fig. 7 is afront view of the construction represented by the preceding view; andFig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6, but showing the controlling valveturned so as, first, to segregate the fruit or other article to beserved, from what is to remain in the appropriate receptacle of thestand, and, secondly, to deliver the segregated fruit or other article.

This device is-constructed to represent a cabinet andis compact in itsarrangement, its base being arranged with doors 10 at its front andhaving a latch 11 to keep them closed. Within these doors are arrangedlight shelving 12 of Wire or similar material and supported by cleats18. The bottom of this compartment is provided with a grating 14 tosupport the contents from contact with the floor in case any moistureshould accumulate at that point.

The whole of the stand is provided with a sheet metal lining 15 whichhas openings at various points and a cross bar 16 running the length ofthe stand on its interior supports certain shelving which will beherein- I after referred to.

The rear of the stand is elevated as at 17 and has a removable cover 18adapted to slide or be hinged to the structure as may be founddesirable, that portion between the main body and the rear extension 17is provided with a hinged door 19 having glass panels by which theinterior may be in spected. While the upper structure is provided with abox 20 in the bottom of which is arranged a coil 21 for soda or aeratedbeverages carried in a tank 22 and which may be readily connected withthe coil 21 or disconnected when it is necessary to remove same.

The cross bar 16 supports a tray 23 made of sheet metal and within samemay be arranged several bins 241 for the reception of various articlesoffered for sale, the contents of which may be easily seen through theopenings of the door 19. The outlet of the coil 21 is a faucet 25beneath which is a drip pan 26 and beneath the ice-box 20 and runningthe length of the stand is an aperture 27 for the reception of sodaglasses while above this aperture and arranged parallel with andalongside of the box 20 are a series of jars 28 containing variousextracts of juices to flavor the soda-water. These jars are supported bya frame 29 made of angle iron and set into the front of the uprightportion 17 and the lower ends of these jars are provided with dischargecocks 3O controlled by the hand wheels 31 projecting beyond the face ofthe upright portion 17. The lower wall 32 of the aperture 27 isperforated to allow the escape of any drippings and beneath this wall isa gutter 33 with a spout 34: to deliver the drainings into a receptacle35 with a drain 36 which delivers any liquid into a trough 37 from whichmay be of any desirable cross section and communicates with the top 18.Two such tubes have been shown in the accompanying drawings, but anyconvenient num ber may be provided, though they are preferably made inpairs, for a purpose presently to be explained. Each one of said tubes39 is composed of four parts, or what might be term-ed functionallydifferentiated portions, viz.: 1, an upper vertical section designed tolet the fruit down rapidly to a point a little above the servingmechanism; 2, a middle section inclined at an angle greater than theangle of repose of the fruit and disposed laterally with relation to thesaid vertical portion; 3, a perpendicular drop located at the lower endof the said middle section; and

4, a slightly inclined discharge channel leading to the outlet of thefruit-containing part of the stand or cabinet. One outlet will suflicefor each pair of tubes 39, the same consisting of an opening 40, at thelower edge of which may be placed a delivery spout 41. It will beobserved that the peculiar incline and lateral arrangement of the middlesection aforesaid, relatively to the upper vertical portion of the tube,operate to break the combined forces of the momentum and weight of thefruit let down through it and further obviate the crowding of the fruit,which occurs in other known constructions. The incline need not besteep, only such as will afford an effective runway for the fruit, whichmay be brought over any suitable course, extended in any convenientdirection within the cabinet according to capacity desired, down to theserving mechanism, which latter is attached to the lower end of the saidmiddle section. The perpendicularity of the drop in the tube 39, belowthe serving mechanism, is intended to restore partly the momentum of thefruit arrested by the middle inclined portion and thus give it, so tosay, a fresh start down the discharge channel and toward the outlet, toinsure quick delivery. However, it is not desirable to have the fruitcome down with too much force through the discharge opening and into thedelivery spout, and for that reason the said tubes 39 are preferablyemployed in pairs, as before stated, the lower ends thereof being alinedto form opposite inclines, on which the descending fruit may roll up anddown until it becomes quiescent and drops out of the outlet 40, commonto both inclines.

The serving mechanism comprises an oscillatable valve 43, and a plunger44 adapted to operate the same, through the medium of a rack-bar 45 andpinion 46. The valve 43 is concavo-convex and placed in the lower end ofthe said middle section of the tube 39 with its hollow side turnednormally toward the fruit descending therein. In this position, thevalve will receive the fruit in the manner indicated in Fig. 6(thecircles representing the fruit) and check its de' scent untiloperated to release it, the fruit at the bottom of the column lodgingone by one in the scoop afforded by the valve, as fastas the latter isreturned to normal position. A suitable connection is provided betweenthe stem of the valve 43 and the pinion 46, whereby the valve can beswung in an arc of a circle within the said lower end of the middlesection of the tube 39. The pinion 46 is located to one side of the tubeand meshes with the rack-bar 45, the latter forming an integral part ofthe plunger 44, which is slidable in a suitable bearing providedtherefor in the front wall of the fruit stand. The rack-bar is locatedunder the pinion, as illustrated. Now, it will be understood that uponpushing the plunger inward, the pinion will be caused to rotate so as toswing the scoop-like valve, with the fruit therein, backward and upward,thereby inverting the valve, dumping its contents into the perpendiculardrop of the tube 39, and meanwhile holding up the column of fruitremaining in the said tube, all as in dicated in Fig. 8. The return ofthe plunger and thereto connected valve to their normal position thenreestablishes the conditions that previously obtained, and the remainderof the fruit can be had in the way just pointed out, by similarsubsequent operations of the plunger and valve. The front end of thesaid middle portion of the tube 39 has a glass cover 42, so that itscontents may be inspected previously to purchase. The contents, it willbe noted, may consist of candies or nuts, as well as deciduous fruits,or other articles which the stand is adapted to vend, and the valve 43may be made of such size as will release any desired amount of thematerial being sold.

At one end of the upright 17 is an icebox' 47 with a perforated bottomand beneath this box is a drip-pan 48 communicating with the trough 37by means of the pipe 49. The box 20 also has an outlet 50 which deliversthe waste water to the receptacle 35.

In Fig. 2 the lower part of the stand is shown as being provided withbins or boxes 51 but it is obvious that any desired construction may beresorted to that may be desired. lVhile it may be found convenient toconfine the construction of the device to that form illustrated in thedrawing occasions may arise when it is found advisable to alter thearrangement of some of these parts without departing from the essentialfeatures above described.

Various details may be added for certain conveniences for manipulatingthe doors. The tubes 39 may be provided with covers 52, and shelves orbrackets 53 may be provided at each end of the stand to accommodate thescales, wrapping paper, or other articles, and means provided for thehanging of a bucket or waste basket from these brackets.

The stand may be also provided with certain ornamental features to makethe same appear clean and attractive and other sanitary features may beadded to preserve the fruit and make it more Wholesome. This deviceprovides not only for preservation of fruit but will also keep candy orother articles fresh and free from contamination of outside influences.

that is claimed as new and we desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a fruit stand, the combination of a suitable cabinet having acentrally-located outlet and inclosed tubes designed to carry the fruitin single files converging toward the same, each tube including avertical upper portion extending downwardly into its own end of thecabinet from a covered opening in the top thereof adapted to receive thefruit, a middle section disposed laterally with relation to said upperportion and inclined therefrom at an angle somewhat greater than theangle of repose of the fruit to convey the latter at a reduced rate ofspeed to a lower forward part of the cabinet, a scoop-like valve locatedin the lower end of said middle section in position to arrest the fruittherein, a pinion operatively connected with the stem of said valveexteriorly of the tube, a rack-bar engaging said pinion, a plungerintegral with said rack-bar, a short perpendicular drop below saidmiddle section, and a slightly inclined channel leading away from saiddrop, the said plunger, rack-bar and pinion operating to invert saidvalve and thereby let down the fruit from the middle section into thedrop and thence into the channel, and the lower ends of the channels ineach pair of tubes being alined and forming opposite inclines by thesides of the central outlet for the fruit rolling out of either tube.

In testimony whereof, we aflix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES MULLER. HENRY REIS. Witnesses JAMES F. DUI-IAMEL, J. W. LOWELL.

